[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 144 (Friday, July 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41043-41044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16255]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Notice of a Supplemental Award to the University of Arkansas 
System Telehealth Focused Rural Health Research Center

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: HRSA announces a supplemental award in the amount of $100,000 
annually through fiscal year 2024. This funding will support the 
University of Arkansas Telehealth Focused Rural Health Research Center 
(TF RHRC), a current HRSA-funded cooperative agreement. The 
supplemental request is for the remaining period of performance of the 
current cooperative agreement, subject to the availability of funds and 
successful performance of the activities in a given budget year.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding this 
request, please contact Nicole Hewitt, ([email protected]), (301) 443-
3893.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Intended Recipient of Award: University of Arkansas System.
    Amount of Award Increase Non-Competitive Award: $100,000 annually.
    Period of Supplemental Funding: 9/1/2021-08/31/2024.
    CFDA Number: 93.155.
    Authority: Section 711(b)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
912(b)(5)).
    Justification: The TF RHRC program is authorized by Section 
711(b)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 912(b)(5)), as amended. 
This program is within HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's 
(FORHP) Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT), which 
administers grants, cooperative

[[Page 41044]]

agreements, and contracts to provide technical assistance and other 
activities as necessary to support activities related to improving 
health care in rural areas. Such activities include the evaluation of 
telehealth programs in rural and underserved areas.
    Under the TF RHRC Program, one of the two research centers was 
selected to receive supplemental funding to evaluate all of OAT's 
programs. The University of Arkansas was awarded a cooperative 
agreement on September 1, 2020, to conduct evaluation-focused research 
and maintain a thorough and comprehensive evaluation of nationwide 
telehealth investments in rural areas and populations.
    The University of Arkansas is presently in the first year of 
evaluating OAT's programs, and the current research is evaluating the 
impact of investments in telehealth services funded by the FORHP. In 
Year 1 of the grant, they have been working on evaluating OAT's 
Licensure and Portability Program and the Telehealth Resource Centers. 
All program evaluation research falls under the jurisdiction of the 
University of Arkansas.
    Consistent with fiscal year 2021 Departmental appropriations 
language, HRSA's FORHP has funded telehealth research that impacts 
rural areas and underserved rural populations. In addition, per the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260), the HHS 
Secretary is required to develop a strategic plan to research and 
evaluate the evidence for such technology-enabled collaborative 
learning and capacity building models.\1\
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    \1\ Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20201221/BILLS-116HR133SA-RCP-116-68.pdf (pages 2102-2106).
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    As part of that directive, FORHP intends to work in consultation 
with the University of Arkansas who can evaluate the Telehealth 
Technology Enabled Learning Program (TTELP). TTELP connects specialists 
at academic medical centers with primary care providers in rural, 
frontier, and underserved populations providing evidence-based training 
and support to help them treat patients with complex conditions in 
their communities. TTELP is also tasked with developing appropriate 
methodologies to evaluate and identify outcomes associated with 
learning community model initiatives.
    The proposed activities for the supplemental funding are within the 
scope of the University of Arkansas' current TF RHRC cooperative 
agreement. This funding will allow HRSA to demonstrate whether or not 
this congressionally mandated program was effective. The University of 
Arkansas will be asked to submit a Request for Information and include 
a work plan, budget and budget narrative for the funding increase that 
incorporates this new TTELP evaluation project.
    The supplemental funds are being requested for the remaining years 
of the cooperative agreement, subject to the availability of funds. The 
supplemental funds will be awarded prior to the end of the current 
fiscal year. The cooperative agreement ends on August 31, 2024.

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                                                                                                      FY 2021
                                                                                      FY 2021        estimated
            Grantee/organization name              Grant number        State        authorized     supplemental
                                                                                   funding level      funding
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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.....      U3GRH40001              AR        $950,000        $100,000
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                                                                                                      FY 2022
                                                                                      FY 2022        estimated
            Grantee/organization name              Grant number        State        authorized     supplemental
                                                                                   funding level      funding
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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.....      U3GRH40001              AR        $950,000        $100,000
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                                                                                                      FY 2023
                                                                                      FY 2023        estimated
            Grantee/organization name              Grant number        State        authorized     supplemental
                                                                                   funding level      funding
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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.....      U3GRH40001              AR        $950,000        $100,000
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Diana Espinosa,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2021-16255 Filed 7-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P